


Beneath the Layers

by Ladibard_Wordsmith28



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Confessions, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Halloween, Implied/Referenced Torture, Post-Hogwarts, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Scars, Severus Snape Lives
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-14
Updated: 2020-08-14
Packaged: 2021-03-05 22:35:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25902940
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ladibard_Wordsmith28/pseuds/Ladibard_Wordsmith28
Summary: This Halloween Night, Severus Snape tried hard to remember his one-sided love for his former flame, Lily but failed. Instead, he kept seeing his young wife, Hermione's face. When she turned up at his former office, he demanded the answer to a poignant question," Why do you care?" The young wife mirrored his gestures to prove it to him, to prove his own words," Beneath the layers, each one of us carries our own battle scars, we should be proud of them. We are alive while those who tortured us are dead." And that she loved him regardless of his scars. (au) (one-shot)
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Severus Snape
Comments: 10
Kudos: 75





	Beneath the Layers

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: The regular disclaimer still stays in place, I owe nothing but the AU and OC. The rest belongs to JKR. My mind lives in the Harry Potter fanfiction world though my body is still thankfully anchored in the monotonous reality of existence. My themes, plotline, and storyline may, therefore, get indirectly influenced by many of the brilliant fanfiction writers on this site. And I humbly bow to such creative genius who give me much needed literary pleasures to see through the toils of mundane life. Lastly, I would like to thank Restricted Section admins to tempt me into thinking out of the box. Reviews would encourage this introvert writer to peep out of her literary closet.

**Beneath the Layers**

As long as the Halloween Feast lasted her husband and the Headmaster of Hogwarts, watched the students like a hawk from the High Table. Hermione, or formally referred to as Mrs. Snape noticed that Severus ate little and drank more. Though, he still drank in moderation. Neville Longbottom tapped at the worried transfiguration professor’s shoulder and whispered,” Hermione, umm, you know...well you will have to be extra careful around him,” glancing sideways at the disturbingly quiet Headmaster,” well, with most of the elder staff gone…”

“Neville, I will figure this out, don’t worry,” Hermione murmured back, trying to sound confident.

She might have said that just to keep the Herbology Professor at bay, but Hermione sat on her bed hours later, with her research work open on her lap, her mind preoccupied. The headmaster slept in the adjacent room. But the man was still loitering somewhere in this huge castle, catching miscreants like every other day. She muttered Tempus for the sixth time and heaved a sigh,” 2:30.” Usually, Snape would be back in their private quarter above the Gargoyle protected Headmaster’s Office, by now.

“Though I didn’t feel the wards, there is no harm in checking…” the woman mumbled again, getting up. He was not in his rooms. Neither was he in his study nor was he in the bathroom. She checked the private balcony up the turret, even if she was aware, he had developed a phobia of high towers after the Former Headmaster’s murder. 

“Since he had not returned to the quarters, and the headmaster’s office was locked, there could be only one place in the entire castle, where he could possibly be.” She thought to herself. Throwing the floo powder at the fireplace, while putting on her robe, the young wife, cleared her voice and said,” former potion master’s personal office.”

Even if the Slytherins had a new Head of the House and a new potion mistress was appointed, Severus had kept his former office and study. Spending nearly a decade and a half in there, he just couldn’t let go of it.

Stepping out of the fireplace, she found him sitting right in front of it. Leaning back on his armchair, with an empty bottle of firewhiskey, still in his patent uniform of midnight blue, Snape’s face was the only thing that glowed in the darkness.

“It’s late,” she whispered, trying to gauge the mood of her husband. He continued to watch her intently, trying to solve a puzzle. She tried looking away, but the man stood up and in three long strides he was towering over her small body. His jade black eyes burnt in vigor. 

Frightened, Hermione looked down and caught sight of the dark patch on his collar. Her hands shot up, but the man had caught hold of them inches away from the blood-soaked material.

He threatened,” Don’t touch that.”

Tilting her head up, she replied firmly,” Your wounds are bleeding, I will need to change the dressing.”

He snarled,” Why do you care?”

“Because I am your wife.”

“Wrong answer, I repeat, WHY do you care?”

She studied his face and mulled over his question a bit,” Because it is my job to care about you.”

“Wrong answer again, Miss Know-it-all, Answer me, why do you care!” he bellowed.

She had managed not to flinch. Instead, she had grabbed at his collar and hissed over his face,” Just because.”

“Gryffindor princesses don't care about Slytherin paupers, especially never for the ones who are ugly to the last letter.” He bit his words.

She narrowed her eyes and continued to ignore his stale breath. 

“Why do you care?” he paused after every word. His eyes burned with concealed anger.

She thought she should act dumb, but this was Snape. She had to say something. Not just because he could read her mind, but also because he could read her body language like an open book. 

She whispered,” Because I have always cared for you because I saved you.”

“So you care because I am just one of your accomplishments,” he baited her.

“If you had been one of my accomplishments, you would have found yourself tucked into a muggle locker,” she countered slightly annoyed.

Gripping her hands tightly, he glowered,” Why do you care about me?”

She wasn’t thinking clearly anymore, she blurted out,” because I am not Lily, I am Hermione. I didn’t marry you, because I loved magic and I didn’t wish to leave this world. But because I looked up to you, I cared and loved you in my own way. Have always been. You can continue to hate me, berate me and ignore me like a broken quill in a dustbin, but I will not stop...loving you.” Tears fell freely as she finally broke down.

The husband had pushed the weeping wife backward. Aiming his wand at the fireplace, he had put several privacy spells. Hermione watched in growing panic, as he did the same for the other doors around the room. Dropping his wand unceremoniously by his feet, his eyes still locked with hers, Snape waved his hand in front of him.

In shock, Hermione watched how seamlessly his clothes peeled off his lean body and gathered themselves in a pile on his desk. 

“How can you love a monster like me? Look at me, Mrs. Snape, Look at this body,” he urged disgusted with himself.

To be honest, this was the first time she was seeing him bare. The night of their ministry arranged marriage, Snape had sealed their bonds under twenty minutes and in utter darkness. She had not complained about it, because she was aware he was not happy about getting forced to do something against his wish.

She studied him. His pale skin glowed as the light of the fireplace kissed the surface. His neck was indeed bleeding, but she didn't gasp because of that. It was his torso littered with thousands of scars that made her sway on her feet.

Severus watched she walk towards him and whispered in indignation,” Why do you care about me?”

She didn’t touch him, nor did she close her honest glassy eyes. Waving a hand over her body, Hermione watched his eyes dilate, as her clothes floated away and stacked themselves on the desk, beside her husband’s pile.

“Tell me, Severus Snape, what do you see and I will tell you, what I can see.” His wife’s voice sounded distant. But he could no longer carry on. Grabbing her by her waist, he had hugged her in earnest and as he shivered. He felt her hands come up and rest over his shoulder blades. Her breath spread a welcoming warmth over his firm chest. Burying his head into her voluminous hair, he whispered in shame,” I tried remembering her, but today after all these years, I kept seeing your face instead. I never knew they tortured you so much at the Malfoy Manor. I never…”

“I would have given up a long time ago, but I still remember what you said to Draco that night after Harry attacked him.”

“You were there?” he asked in shock.

“I went down to talk to Malfoy. Earlier that day, he had contacted me willing to come to a compromise. He had also apologized… I was behind the curtains and I heard you tell him,’ beneath the layers of our clothes, each one of us bears scars. Some we can see and some are buried in our flesh. They define us and tell us the story of our life. We should take pride in them. And for the ones we abhor, we should remember to do as many good deeds it takes to dampen its presence.”

Tilting her face up, he rubbed his trembling fingers over her wet cheeks and looked into her eyes and finally confessed,” I never believed this would ever happen again. But I think I am in love with you.”


End file.
